Field of the Invention
The invention relates to imaging devices, and more particularly to solid-state imaging devices having a gap array in a color filter layer and a microlens structure.
Description of the Related Art
Recently, solid-state imaging devices have been widely used in various imaging-capturing apparatuses, for example video cameras, digital cameras and the like. Solid-state imaging devices, such as charge-coupled device (CCD) imaging sensors or complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) imaging sensors, have photoelectric converters for converting incident light into electric signals, and they have logic circuits for transmitting and processing the electric signals. The solid-state imaging devices have a pixel array and each pixel has one photoelectric converter.
Solid-state imaging devices usually have a color filter for generating color imagings. The color filter may be a primary-color filter of red (R), blue (B) and green (G) segments stacked over the light-receiving surface of two-dimensionally arranged photoelectric converters. The color filter has a predetermined pattern such that each of the color segment corresponds to one photoelectric converter. Generally, the red (R), blue (B) and green (G) segments are connected with each other to form a connected color filter profile.
In addition, solid-state imaging devices have a microlens structure on the color filter for collecting light to the photoelectric converters. The microlens structure has a plurality of microlenses arranged into an array and the microlenses are connected with each other to form a connected microlens structure profile. In the connected color filter profile, light diagonally entering one color segment will pass through the color segment to reach an adjacent color segment and be lost in the color segment. Thus, the quantum efficiency (QE) of the solid-state imaging devices having the connected color filter profile cannot be enhanced.